Each Monday I pick out the northern hemisphere’s celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
What To Watch For In The Night Sky This Week: May 24-30, 2021
It’s surely the most arresting sight of 2021 for anyone in Australia, parts of the western U.S. states, western South America and Southeast Asia—a total lunar eclipse. The first in over two years, it’s not going to last long, but it should be dramatic. In the nights after this “Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse” it will also be possible to see tiny Mercury shining next to the super-bright planet Venus, which returns to the post-sunset night sky as the “Evening Star. ”
A fabulous week of moon gazing and planet-hunting is just beginning …
The first total lunar eclipse since January 2019 occurs tonight
Wednesday, May 26, 2021: a ‘Super Flower Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse
The first total lunar eclipse since January 2019 occurs tonight, but even if you’re in the path—effectively the night-side of Earth—don’t settle in for a long event. Total lunar eclipses occur when the Moon drifts into Earth’s central shadow in space, but this one only brushes the insides. Cue about 15 minutes when the full Moon turns a reddish-orange color—lunar totality—making it the second-shortest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century.
It’s nevertheless sure to be a dramatic sight low in the southwestern sky when that happens around 11:11 Universal Time—4:11 a.m. PDT, so a sight strictly for early-risers—not least because it’s also a “supermoon,” or perigean full Moon, as astronomers call it.
That simply means that on the previous evening the full “Super Flower Moon” will have been at its farthest from Earth on its elliptical monthly orbit. The result? It will appear slightly bigger than usual on the horizon, so you’ll get a big-looking moonrise in the east on Tuesday followed, later that night in the early hours of Wednesday, by the eclipse.
The west coast of the U.S. gets a great view, with the view getting decidedly less good the farther east it’s viewed from. In fact, most of the U.S. will see just a partial lunar eclipse.
See my feed for a lot more information on this eclipse, including detailed viewing guides.
Friday, May 28, 2021: Mercury and Venus in a close conjunction
Friday, May 28, 2021: Mercury and Venus in a close conjunction
Mercury is typically a difficult planet to find since it rarely strays far from the Sun’s glare, but recently it’s been visible after sunset. Perhaps the most attractive sight of all in “Mercury May” comes after dusk tonight when the tiny planet—having risen beyond Venus—dramatically sinks back towards it.
Look west after sunset and you’ll see the two planets barely 0.5º apart, and getting closer. However, do bear in mind that Venus will be brilliantly bright compared to Mercury, so it’s a bit of a mis-match.
Sunday, May 30, 2001: Moon and Saturn in a close conjunction
Sunday, May 30, 2001: Moon and Saturn in a close conjunction
Now a few days past full, the waning “Super Flower Moon” tonight passes just 4º from the “ringed planet” Saturn in the hours before sunrise.
Times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information consult online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live. Check planet-rise/planet-set, sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are.
Disclaimed: I am the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMirQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5mb3JiZXMuY29tL3NpdGVzL2phbWllY2FydGVyZXVyb3BlLzIwMjEvMDUvMjMvdmVudXMtZGF6emxlcy1iZWZvcmUtMjFzdC1jZW50dXJ5cy1zZWNvbmQtc2hvcnRlc3QtdG90YWwtbHVuYXItZWNsaXBzZS13aGF0LXlvdS1jYW4tc2VlLWluLXRoZS1uaWdodC1za3ktdGhpcy13ZWVrL9IBsQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5mb3JiZXMuY29tL3NpdGVzL2phbWllY2FydGVyZXVyb3BlLzIwMjEvMDUvMjMvdmVudXMtZGF6emxlcy1iZWZvcmUtMjFzdC1jZW50dXJ5cy1zZWNvbmQtc2hvcnRlc3QtdG90YWwtbHVuYXItZWNsaXBzZS13aGF0LXlvdS1jYW4tc2VlLWluLXRoZS1uaWdodC1za3ktdGhpcy13ZWVrL2FtcC8?oc=5
2021-05-24 02:00:00Z
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